Unexpected Vistors
by dollfaceholmes16
Summary: Harry and Ginny get an unexpected visit from Harry's aunt. NOT A SLASH.


The year after Albus started at Hogwarts, during the summer holidays, Ginny was trying (and failing miserably) to cook dinner when she heard a knock at the front door. Looking around for one of the children to answer it, she caught a whiff of burning macaroni. Sighing, she vanished her attempt at a meal and hurried to the door.

"Hell—" Opening the door, she stopped short. "Dudley! How nice to see you!" Her face lit up as she greeted her husband's cousin. It was only then that she saw who was standing behind him. "Oh." Her eyes widened. Recovering, she held out her hand. "You must be Petunia."

Petunia Dursley offered her hand cautiously, as if she might never get it back. Ginny shook it quickly and Petunia pulled it back to her chest protectively. Ginny bit back the urge to laugh. "Do come in." She ushered them into the living room and invited them to sit.

"Harry!" She called up the stairs. "You're going to want to come down here." She looked back at what was left of her husband's family and forced a smile. "It will be just one moment." She said. "He's currently talking to his boss."

"On the phone?" Dudley asked, curious. After the war, he and Harry had kept in touch, and Dudley was a frequent visitor to the Potter household. He didn't have the same fear of magic as his parents, and the kids loved their 'muggle uncle'. He was curious about the wizarding world, and loved to hear stories from his nieces and nephews.

"No, in the fireplace." Ginny said, as if this was completely normal.

Petunia made a strangled noise, but said nothing. Before the silence could become too awkward, the two boys came running into the room.

"Uncle Dudley!" James cried, clapping Dudley on the back. "I didn't know you were coming over!"

"James, Albus, good to see you." Dudley said, grinning widely. He turned to his mother. "Mum, these are two of Harry's kids. James Sirius," James gave a small wave, "And Albus Severus."

Petunia's eyes widened. "Severus?" She asked, suddenly pale.

"Yeah, his name's a bit of a mouthful." James said, teasing.

"Hey, I'm named after two great Hogwarts headmasters!" Albus protested. "Who are you named after?"

"Two great Hogwarts troublemakers!" James joked.

"And maybe your brother will follow in the footsteps of his namesakes, just like you did." Ginny teased her eldest son. James ducked his head sheepishly.

Dudley laughed at this exchange. "Where's your sister?" He asked the boys.

"Off being annoying somewhere." James said.

Ginny gave her son a look. "I think she's actually upstairs with Dad," said Albus. He looked at Petunia. "So are you our Aunt Petunia?" He asked. "Dudley called you mum."

Petunia nodded but continued to say nothing.

Albus looked back at Dudley. "Are you staying for dinner, Uncle Dud?"

"Yes, you're welcome to stay." Ginny said. "It might be a little while. I just burned the macaroni, so Harry will have to cook."

"Oh, thank God!" James said. "Mum, how did you burn macaroni? How could you be Gran's daughter?"

"I was too busy pulling pranks with Fred and George when I was younger to learn how to cook," said Ginny simply. She turned back to the Dursleys. "Anyway, you are more than welcome, if you don't mind waiting for a little while."

Petunia opened her mouth, but Dudley spoke ahead of her. "We'd love to say." He said, shooting his mother a look. Petunia closed her mouth.

"Harry!" Ginny yelled up the stairs again. "Harry, get down here!"

Lily came bounding down the stairs, her red hair bouncing. "He's coming, Mum." She said as she entered the living room.

Petunia made another strangled noise when she saw her grand-niece.

"Uncle Dudley!" Lily rushed across the room to hug her uncle. "What are you doing here?" She asked, plopping herself down on his lap.

"I just brought my mum to visit." He explained. He turned to Petunia. "Mum, this is Lily Luna."

Petunia made yet another noise, but found herself unable to speak. She simply stared at the girl. Lily hopped off Dudley's lap and leaned in to hug Petunia before Ginny could realize what she was doing and stop her. "It's really nice to meet you." She said, wrapping her arms around Petunia's neck.

Petunia sat there stiffly for a moment, and then slowly wrapped her arms around the girl and returned the hug.

When Harry entered his living room, he didn't quite register who his daughter was leaning in to hug. When he did, his jaw dropped. _Aunt Petunia?_

As Harry watched, his daughter wrapped her arms around Petunia. At first, Petunia's eyes widened and she sat tensely in shock. But after a moment, her shoulders relaxed, her eyes fluttered shut, and her arms slowly wrapped around the little girl. The moment seemed to stretch on and on, but finally Lily pulled back, and Harry could have sworn that his aunt seemed almost disappointed that the hug was over.

Lily gave Petunia a big smile and bounded over to her mother. Petunia's eyes followed the girl across the room, and then flicked up to Harry.

Harry stepped forward. "Aunt Petunia," he said simply. "It's nice to see you."

She nodded sharply. It seemed speech had once again failed her.

"I was very sorry to hear about Uncle Vernon," Harry continued.

"I'm sure you were." Petunia said with a sneer. She then clapped her hand over her mouth, as if she hadn't meant to speak. Dudley shot her a look.

"I was." Harry said softly. "I know I didn't get along well with him, but I know how much you loved each other." He spoke slowly, trying to find the right words.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

Dudley stood up. "Well, boys, why don't we go outside and you can show me how fast you fly!" He suggested.

"Hey!" Lily protested. "I can fly better than both of them!"

"Then you come too!" Dudley said, leading the three children out of the room and to the backyard. As Ginny sat down on a chair across from Petunia, she could hear their shrieks of delight.

Harry moved to stand behind Ginny, one of his hands absentmindedly touching her hair. After another long moment of silence, Ginny turned around to face him. "You'll have to make dinner," she told him unabashedly. "I burned the macaroni."

Harry snorted. "Very well." He looked at Petunia. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

Petunia met his eye and then quickly looked away. "Tha-that would be lovely." She said shakily.

Harry turned and walked into the kitchen. Ginny stood up. "Why don't you come out into the kitchen?" She invited. "It's cozier than in here."

Petunia nodded, stood up, and followed Ginny through the house. When they entered the kitchen, Harry's back was to them. Ginny motioned for Petunia to sit down on one of the high chairs at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

Harry turned to Petunia. "I'm making it the Mug-the normal way." He told her.

It was this gesture that loosened his aunt's tongue. "Your children are beautiful." She finally said, looking at Ginny. "James is very handsome. And Albus. He has her eyes. And Lily…" She trailed off, but Harry didn't need her to finish the sentence.

"Yes. She looks like my mother. We're not sure where she gets her eyes from, though. I mean, Ginny has brown eyes, but Lily's are a much darker brown." Petunia met Harry's eyes for the first time, and Harry suddenly realized just where his daughter got her eyes. "Oh."

Harry handed Petunia a cup of tea and decided that it was time to stop beating around the bush. "Aunt Petunia," he began. "Why are you-"

"I'm sorry," interrupted Petunia.

That was not what Harry had been expecting. "What?"

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

"For-for what?"

Petunia sighed shakily. She wrapped her hands around her cup of tea and looked down into it. "For the way we treated you." She said slowly. "We were-we were horrible to you. I-I shouldn't have allowed Vernon-" She shook her head. "No, no. I shouldn't have treated you that way." She took a deep breath and looked up into her nephew's eyes. "Harry, you are my sister's son. She entrusted you to me, and instead of treating you with respect, dignity, and love, as I should have, I treated you like you were a disgusting piece of filth. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I do want you to know that I am terribly sorry and I will regret my actions for the rest of my life."

Harry was quiet for a moment, thinking. Yes. His aunt had treated him terribly. He'd had a miserable child, and why? Because his aunt was jealous of his mother. Of course, he did sympathize with her. He could only imagine how he would have felt had he been in her shoes. Still, that didn't excuse her actions. A part of him wanted to turn away, allow her to suffer for all that she had put him through. But he knew that his mother never would have wanted that. His mother would have forgiven her sister in a heartbeat. And, looking into Petunia's eyes, he knew that she was being sincere. She truly felt sorry for her actions.

Harry took a deep breath. "Of course I'll forgive you." He said quietly.


End file.
